how to pipe frosting on cupcakes AND a Sugarlicious giveaway

UPDATE: Congratulations to Marlene, Kristy, Adrienne, Monica and Lindsay! (Also known as the 5 numbers that the Random Number Generator chose to win.) Thank you all for your participation, there are lots more giveaways ahead! I was surprised at how many frosting pipers were in the bunch. Sara-Jayne, best of luck to you, how exciting! And congratulations to your daughter, Susan1961! An ice cream scoop? Yeah, gotta agree with you Mia and Deniece that’s a no no. Ack, Trish and J Moore reminded me I meant to pull out the big tips, 1M, out for these! That’s my favorite… And if you want to see a trick for filling a frosting bag, check out this video link left in the comments. I’ve never seen anything like it, so genius! It’s by Karen’s Cookies: CLICK HERE to see the video.

Another week, another giveaway to celebrate the almost-release of Sugarlicious!! (To learn more about the book, CLICK HERE.) This week I’m giving away five more of the super sweet Prize Packs my publisher created. In addition to the little 16-page sneak peek booklet of Sugarlicious, you get these prizes:

The Prize Pack includes:

an adorable apron

a hot pink oven mitt

a cutie spatula

a kitchen-friendly booklet with some recipes

some handy post-it notes for your Sugarlicious notes

And this week I’m giving away FIVE prize packs!

I’m also throwing in some cupcake liners and a few tips.
(scroll to the end of this post for details)

This week, let’s discuss cupcakes!! I’m pretty sure we can stop talking about cupcakes as a “trend,” too. Cupcakes are cute, decorate-able, portion-controlled perfection, and they are here to stay. But I do have a very important question for you.

Pipe vs. Spread

How do you frost cupcakes?

Now I’m not averse to spreading frosting on cupcakes with a spatula. Gosh, it’s how I was raised. But once I started getting into piping, I spread no more. I find it’s so much quicker and easier to pipe frosting with a bag and tip.

decorating bags. I use 12-inch disposable decorating bags, available at the craft store. It’d be easier to use larger bags because you’d be able to pipe on more cupcakes without refilling, but I use the 12-inch for cookie decorating and I don’t like to buy more than one box. So I refill every few cupcakes.

couplers and decorating tips. You’ll find these in the craft store, too. I use standard size couplers and tips. But for cupcakes, you can use the larger sizes if you prefer. It’s actually much easier to go larger, but I’m cheap, I mean frugal, and just my cookie decorating supplies, so that’s why I just use the standard size of both of these. Just make sure that whatever tips you buy fit on the couplers you buy. (So standard/standard or big/big.)

frosting. I use this recipe for frosting (not the royal icing). But you can use store-bought, too. You may want to thicken it a bit with confectioner’s sugar. For piping cupcakes, a little thicker than the spreadable consistency in the can is preferred. You want the frosting to be thick enough to hold it’s shape (scoop a spoonful and make sure it doesn’t move) but not so super-thick you can’t squeeze it out of the bag.

UPDATE: A reader asked a fabulous question, why not royal icing?? It’s all about consistency. Royal icing dries very hard (my recipe dries well enough to handle, though the other ingredients make it a little different from traditional royal icing and it doesn’t dry very hard), so it’s ideal for cookie decorating, as you are then able to handle and package your cookies. However, hard icing not so ideal for cupcakes. Better to use a butter-based frosting for those.

step one: assemble the decorating bag. Assemble the decorating bag with a decorating tip (see below for tips on tips) and coupler. To do this, remove the ring from the coupler. Fit the coupler in side the bag with the smaller end pushed towards the point. Snip the bag beneath the edge of the coupler so the coupler fits fully inside the bag. Put the decorating tip on the edge of the coupler (over the snipped bag), and secure with the ring. Fold a cuff and put the bag in a tumbler with the cuff over the rim (I use my daughter’s Backyardigans cup). Fill with frosting, uncuff and close tightly with a rubber band.

step four: pipe the frosting
To pipe, hold the bag with your dominant hand by the rubber band. Steady the bag by placing your other hand on top of your dominant hand and squeeze with consistent pressure. Start at the center of the cupcake, move to the edge and pipe round and round in a spiral and pull away quickly at the top.

Which tip to use??

You can use pretty much any of the fancy schmancy type tips. Don’t worry too much about which one, since they all look pretty cool. You got your open star (with teeth), closed star (with teeth turned in), petals (long and flat), round (um, round)… I’m partial to the open stars, less teeth, the bigger the better. Below are a few examples…

now let’s get to the GIVEAWAY!!

How do you frost your cupcakes?

THE GIVEAWAY

So this week I get to give FIVE of you the awesome Prize Pack,and I’m throwing in some cupcake liners, too!

to ENTER to WIN:

the sneak-peek thingamajig AND the awesome Prize Pack that includes an oven mitt, spatula, apron, a few recipes, post-its AND cupcake liners ANDthree decorating tips, bags and couplers

(reminder, the sneak peek is NOT the book itself which is available February 7th)

leave a comment here before

Thursday, January 26th, midnight, EST

(Sorry folks, funds are limited so I have to keep this US addresses onl

Comments

Hello! I'm 38 weeks super-pregnant and my baby boy is due on your release date! I would SO love to win! I am in the UK, BUT My friend in the USA would take delivery for me and send it on; she knows how much I love your work! Congratulations on the book by the way, I cannot wait for it to be released 🙂 Thank you for always making my day prettier with your work 🙂

Thank you so much for the post! I had one of those AH HA! moments. I always fight with the bag as I try to fill it, I never thought to put it in a cup, with the bag opened & rolled over the sides! Genius! (and why didn't I think of that ha ha!!!!) We appreciate your give-aways as well!!! Thanks a million!!!!!!

I have pre-ordered your book from Amazon and can't wait until it arrives! In the mean time I'd love the sneek peek and the prize.Your work is fantastic and I've followed you for over a year. I also use your icing recipe and love it. Thanks for the inspiration!Jeanetta (debuskjl@gmail.com)

I would LOVE to win this. My new years resolution this year is to learn to decorate cookies/cupcakes. This would come in VERY handy at my house right now:)Thanks for this awesome giveaway.PaulinePauline at tinkertoys dot net

I love making and decorating cupcakes. I mostly pipe the frosting unless theme requires flat surface then I spread. Love your blog and look forward to winning this lovely giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity and good luck with the release of Sugarlicious book!

I love to PIPE. Then, if I want it smoother I just smooth with my spatula. Less mess that way. I learned the bag in a cup trick in a decorating class years ago and it just rocked my world! Awesome tip.

Of course I want to win. I like to pipe frosting as well, I'm still learning, boy on TV decorating cakes and cupcakes looks so easy but it's not that easy. At least not for me, I know practice makes perfect. I try my best! I may take a cake decorating class down the street from my house to get the hang of it.

I'm so happy to be able to leave a comment today. It wouldn't work yesterday for some reason, so yay for today. Thank you for the giveaway and opportunity to win. Congratulations on all your hard work paying off! Thank you for the tips today-great post!

I like to frost my cupcakes with either the star or open tips. But by the time we add some sprinkled, or sugar decorations, it kinda doesn't matter. I love experimenting w/ ideas, so thanks for sharing!

I pipe my cupcakes, so much quicker than spreading, which is how I grew up doing cupcakes. I think just about anyway you do your cupcakes is great except when people use an ice cream scoop and just but a giant glob on top. That really bothers me =)

I used to just use a knife, but I have branched out to decorator tips (actually is less messy and faster! not to mention prettier!) or candy and cookie decorations (reindeer over the holidays!). Thanks for the opportunity! ladydevine73@hotmail.com

In the past, I've always just spread…but now I am inspired to pipe. I have all the tools, so hopefully it will work. Thanks for the tips on how to fill the bag. That always seems like the messiest part.

Hoping to win!I usually pipe icing on cupcakes. I did find a neat technique that was intended for cookies, but I think it applies to anything iced.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxE-pnqmsE0It makes clean-up a breeze, especially when using non-disposable bags. My daughter and I love to bake, and hope to win your book!

Hopefully I will win this week :0) I frost my cupcakes using the same techniques you use. I like using a 1M or 2D tip with a large coupler and disposable piping bags. Congrats again on your new book!! email: jmoorecoupons (at) aol (dot) com

I love the pink houndstooth cupcake liners!After visiting this blog almost daily I finally faced my fears and tried the marshmallow fondant. It was a success! I was able to make fondant topped cupcakes as the favors for my godchild's Baptism. 🙂

I would l♥ve to win!!! I pipe my cupcakes too. If I win I would share with my daughter, she is 12 years old, and has is spending lots of time in the kitchen with me. Baking is such a wonderful way for my daughter and I to spend time together. Congratulations on your new book. I will definitely be picking up a copy 😉

I just started piping my cupcakes. I use to use just a spatula and I course your awesome frosting, but decided to step it up now that my daughter is growing up and actually cares about presentation rather than just te taste.

I agree that once I started piping it was much easier and faster. I also start out piping from the outside and then in. I'll have to try it the way you recommended and see what works better. Always love your post!

I would LOVE to win this amazing prize pack :)! I just stumbled onto your website and I LOVE it! I am definitely a "piper". There is a time to spread and a time to pipe and I mostly pipe. I am also addicted to mini-cookie cutters because the shapes fit so perfectly on my cupcakes!

I LOVE your blog and the recipes and the ideas and the PINK! I like to pipe on my cupcakes….spreading tends to pull the cake off and not as pretty! I'm SUPER excited to get your book….and LOVE the pink!Barbie

I would love to win this package. I have a cookie cutter club meeting February 4th with a country theme and we are suppose to wear an apron. I don't own an apron. If I win the apron everyone will ask what my apron means and I can tell them about your new book. They love that kind of stuff. Hey it's Kate the lady that makes the peacock cookies.

I use a spatula but only because I don't have decorator bags or tips. I'd love to invest in some someday, but I am disabled and unable to work, so it isn't in the budget right now. Piping makes them so pretty!

I am new to baking and blogging (is that what you call it?). In fact, yours is the first one I have subscribed to. I love the cover of your book and the beautiful and delicious looking things you make.

I do have a question: Why NOT royal icing? And what is royal icing?

I would love to win, but will be happy to know that you and your site (blog?) are here for me to come to for help and ideas.

I would love to win! I have just recently had the time to read more blogs (since been laid off, after 20 years). My husband is encouraging me to follow my love of cooking and mainly baking and see what I can do with it! It would be wonderful to have these beautiful items!! xoxox You have a very wonderful blog!!

These prizes are adorable! I love to bake and I love the decorated cookie! My baking buddies (aka my neighbors, best friends, basically sisters) bake cupcakes all the time! The girls always let me pipe the frosting on because its my favorite part! (besides tasting) Would love to win! We are 18, 13 and 10 and someday hope to own our own bakery! Thanks you for your tips and blog! Love it!

I'm from central america and I definitely admire your work of art! I'm getting ready to buy your book on february! I have family in california who would receive the delivery and send it down here to me! i really want to win!!!

I use a spatula but after reading your directions I'll certainly try piping them. Used your cookie icing recipe "Almost Royal Icing" during the holidays and it worked just great. So much better than just royal icing. My grandchildren had a ball decorating all those cookies and with the new icing recipe they even tasted good.Hope I win.

I pipe, crazy flowers, grass, swirls, stars … it takes forever, but it's the best part of baking cupcakes 🙂 Oh yes, if I do win – it's not for me but my very dearest friend, I have only seen once in 8 years .. Love my best friend, Susan from Provo Utah ..

I just found your blog, and am loving it! I'm just getting into piping, and LOVE IT!!! My 5 year old daughter also love to pipe, and she's pretty good! We'd love to win some goodies, and we are ordering your book!

I've always been a spreader but have been thinking I need to start piping – this would push me over the edge! Doesn't it take more frosting that way? It looks like it would. Thanks for all the help and the chance at the lovely giveaway!

Wonderful giveaway. I would love to give all this girly pink equipment to my granddaughter for her birthday. We spend many happy hours together baking on the weekends. Her favorite color is pink. Thanks for the opportunity to win.

so, i know your give away is over, bummer, i just found you. but anyhow, im glad i found you, i am thinking about starting an online bakery and your piping techniques are just what i needed, i can bake like no other but dont have much experience piping(none that were possitive yet) but reading this i see the error of my ways and when i make cupcakes this weekend im gonna try it your way! Thank you for this post!!!

Hi Estee! Thanks so much! For store-bought, I just use Dunkin HInes or Betty Crocker or any of the tubs of frosting, however, to pipe the frosting on with a tip, you will have to thicken store-bought icing. Blend in confectioner’s sugar (more than you’d think, it takes quite a bit).

Awesome giveaway! Me please. I am a newbie at cake decorating. I am a mother of 5 boys. Buying cakes and cup cakes are just so expensive so i decide to decorate my own. I love your ideas and previous ones too. Keep up the great work.